Sask. government's pause on planned Saskatoon freeway could lead to more traffic jams: report

Saskatoon -

A decision by the Saskatchewan government to pump the brakes on a planned Saskatoon freeway could result in more traffic congestion in the city.

That's according to a report heading to the city's transportation committee on Monday.

The report from transportation director Jay Magus says the province decided to cancel "Phase 3" of the Saskatoon Freeway project including the planning of the freeway between Highway 16 and Highway 7 on the city's west side.

The stretch would be part of a highway system that would make it easy for traffic, large trucks in particular, to easily bypass the city.

"There is no timeframe on when Phase 3 would be completed in the future," Magus writes. The province informed the city the project was going on hold in October, according to the report.

A ministry spokesperson told CTV News that planning for the freeway's western route has been deferred until its closure to the proposed project's actual construction date, which won't come for another 10 to 15 years.

"We've done a significant amount of planning work and we feel that it would be better to work on some more immediate priorities," ministry communications director David Horth said.

Horth empasized the still-preliminary nature of the project play a factor in the ministry's decision.

"The government has not made a commitment to build a Saskatoon freeway, it is something that is a potential project, which isn't to say we wouldn't do it, but we haven't committed one way or the other," Horth said.

"We've done a significant amount of planning work."

That work began in 1999 and has included location studies undertaken in 2007 2009 and 2018, according to the city's report report.

The project took a further step towards becoming a reality in February 2019 when the Ministry of Highways kicked off a round of more finalized planning with engineering firm SNC-Lavalin at the table.

Formal council approval was forthcoming and public information sessions were in the works, the report says.

City adminsitration is hoping council will endorse a letter from Mayor Charlie Clark formally requesting a restart for the project.

The report outlines some of the issues that may arise if the project is delayed.

Traffic congestion ranks chief among the concerns for city planners, patricianly along Circle Drive as the city continues to grow.

"A freeway between Highway 7 and Highway 16 would attract the regional, provincial, and inter-provincial traffic, and extend the usability of Circle Drive as it is configured today," Magus writes in the report.

"Without a freeway, congestion at specific locations will continue to grow and the traffic impacts will also move upstream from the source over time."

Magus' report also predicts increased traffic on Neault Road and continued cut-through truck traffic on 11th Street West. 

However, Horth said that due to the long-term nature of the proposed project, a delay wouldn't likely change the timing of the freeway's construction.

The report says over time improvements will be needed and the lack of a plan for the freeway will "increase the difficulty in determining the appropriate improvements to the transportation network."

While the project is paused, the land where they freeway would likely be situated is still subject to development restrictions and road planning must accommodate "control circles" at potential future interchange locations, the report says.

"Maintaining the control circles and development restrictions in the area in essence sterilizes the area for growth considerations until the transportation network is planned."